James Corden has expressed his remorse for kissing Sean Spicer on the cheek at the 2017 Emmy Awards. The chat show host said he was "disappointed" with himself for cosying up to Donald Trump's former Press Secretary at the event, and spoke of the backlash he had faced as a result, as he presented Monday's episode of the Late Late Show. James, 39, said he had heard his critics "loud and clear" after a picture of the kiss went viral, and likened it to "getting a little drunk" and waking up the next morning with regrets.
James Corden has said he is "disappointed" in himself for kissing Sean Spicer at the Emmys
"The big winners last night were Donald Glover, Hulu and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. Spicer won best actor in a comedy for his role in Donald Trump's administration," James said. "I'm kidding, of course. But Sean Spicer actually did make a cameo at last night's ceremony. According to some reports, at the after-party, Spicer was the most popular guy in the room. And I just want to say, I think people are forgetting that this man lied to the American people, and should not be embraced."
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As the photo of the pair together then flashed up on the screen, James continued: "These Hollywood phonies kissing up to Sean Spicer are disgusting. I mean, who did this? Who are we talking about here? Yeah. I know you think that is a picture of me kissing Sean Spicer. But in the spirit of Sean Spicer – no, it isn't. Anyone ever have that feeling when you get a little drunk and then wake up the next morning and think, 'Oh God, who did I kiss last night?' It's a bit like that."
James attended the 2017 Emmys with wife Julia, who is expecting their third child
Adopting a more serious tone, James then said it was "understandable" that people were upset about the picture. "Understandably, some people have been disappointed by this photo. In truth, I'm disappointed by it as well," he admitted. "I have been reading a lot of harsh comments on Twitter today, and I hear you loud and clear, truly, I do.
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"I can promise you this, that kiss was a one-time thing. I'm not one of these people who has a couple of drinks and goes around kissing people I don't know. Except for that one time with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, right? Basically, what I'm saying is, I need to learn how to shake hands."